Crane mechanism.



D.KENDALL. CRANE MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 12. 1916.

1,287,336. Patentd Dec. 10, 1918.

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WITNESSES INVENTOR 049 MM M Z;

D. KENDALL.

CRANE MECHANISM.

APPLICATION HLED MAY K2. I916.

1,287,336. Patented Dec. 10, 1918.

'6 SHEETSSHEET 2.

WITNESSES D. KENDALL.

V CRANE MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED MAY l2. i916.

1,287,336. iniented Dec.10, 1918.

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WITNESSES v 0 I (NTOR 1*: main: urns no. Iumuruo. lwuunmmu, n cy D. KENDALL.

CRANE MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 12. 1916,

Patented Dec. 10, 1918.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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D. KENDALL.

CRANE MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY l2. 19l6.

1,287,336. Patented Dec. 10, 1918.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

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CRANE MECHANISM.

APPLICATION men MAY 12. 1916.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

Patented Dec. 10, 2918.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIcE.

DAVID KENDALL, OF ALLIANCE, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE ALLIANCE MACHINE COMPANY, OF ALLIANCE, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

CRANE MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec. 10, 19 18.

Application filed May 12, 1916. Serial No. 97,207.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, DAVID KENDALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Alliance, Stark county, Ohio, have invented a new and useful Crane Mechanism, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming partof this specification, in which- Figure 1 is an elevation of a Soaking pit crane embodying my invention. 7

Fig. 2 is a plan view with certain of the parts in horizontal section.

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of a portion of the mechanism.

Figs. 4 and 5 are detail views illustrating the tongs mechanism and their counter-' weights.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section showing the counterweight. V

Figs. 7 and 8 are detail views of one of the parts shown in Fig. 6, and hereinafter more particularly referred to.

Fig. 9 is a detail view showing the connection of the counterweight ropes or cables to the tongs column and actuatin rod,

Fig. 10 is a detail plan view ilustrating the pivoted lever frame for operating the tongs rope or cable, and r Fig. 11 is a side view of the same.

My invention has relation to crane mechanism, and more particularly to soaking pit cranes, or other similar cranes having a vertically movable lifting column, together with tongs or grips, and means for actuating the column and the tongs or grips.

The present invention is designed to provide'means of improved character for controlling the operating rope or cable for the tongs or grips; to provide improved counterweight means for the ropes or cables; and to improve the mechanismfor raising and lowering the tongs column. r

The nature of my invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, which I have shown as embodied ina soaking pit crane, which will now be described, it being premised, however, that various changes can be made in the details of construction, arrangement and combination of the several parts without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as set forth in the appended claims. In these drawings the numeral 2(Fig. 1)

designates the usual crane bridge which is mounted to travel on track 3. 4 designates a carriage or trolley which is mounted for transverse movement on the bridge'2, being driven by the usual motor 5. Crane bridges and trolleys of this general character are well known'in the art and need not be described in detail, since my invention is applicable to the usual structures of this character.

6 designates a-vertically movable tongs carrying column having the tongs or grips 7 at its lower end portion. This column is mounted for vertical movement through the trolley 1. It is actuated by means of a toothed pinion 8 driven by'a train-of gears 9 from electric motor 10, and engaging rack teeth 11 on one face of the column. For the purposeofguiding and steadying the vertical movement of the column, I provide the guide rollers 12 (see Fig. 2) adapted to bear against the opposite face of the column at opposite edge portions thereof. In order to prevent any slippage between :these rollers and the column, each roller is preferably provided with a, gear wheel 13 at-- tached thereto. The teeth of these gear wheels engage toothed racks 14 on'the col- Connected to the column, as bestshown in Fig. 9, are the two main counter Weight ropes or cables 1-5. -These ropes or cables- .pass upwardly and over thesheaves 16- which are supported in bearings atthe topof the frame'or tower 17 carried on the trolley4, and thence downwardly. At their lower ends they are connected to opposite end portions of a lever 18 (see Fig. 6). Pivotally connected to the central portion of this lever at 19 is abar 20 which passes downwardly into a vertical opening at 21 in a counterweight 22. 23 is a member which is seated in an opening'24 in the bod of the counterweight and which is pinne to the bar 20 at 25. Seated between the member 23 and the top wall of the opening 24 are compression springs 26. .27 design-ate safety dogs which are pivoted at 28 within recesses 29 of the counterweight and which are loosely engaged at their inner ends with pins 30 carried by the member 23; This member 23 is shown in side elevation in Fig. 7 and in top plan view in- Fig.- 8. The pins 30 which engage the lever arms of the dogs are shown as seated in the projecting lugs 31 of the member 23. The counterweight is mounted for vertical movement between the vertical guides 32. Each of these guides is provided with a plurality of openings 33, which are adapted to be engaged by the dogs 27 in case of breakage of the ropes or cables, and thus prevent the counterweight from falling. The counterweight may, however, be provided with the spring buffers, 3a to minimize the shock in case it should drop from any cause. It will be seen that the lever 18 is connected to the counterweight through the medium of the pin 19, the bar 20, the pin and the compression springs 26, these springs transmitting the weight of the counterweight to the member 23 and thence. to the bar 20 and lever 18.

35 designates the tongs actuating rod which extends upwardly within the column 6 and is provided at its upper end with a yoke or clevis 36. Connected to this yoke or clevis is a lever 36, to which are secured two ropes or cables 37 which pass upwardly and over sheaves or pulleys 38 at the top of the tower 17, and thence downwardly, being connected at their lower ends to the counterweight 22 through the medium of the rods 39 and the springs to, the latter being seated in pockets 41 in the weight and between washers 4:2 on the lower ends of said rods and the upper walls of said pockets.

The sheaves or pulleys 38 are journaled on a lever frame 4.3 pivoted on the axis a3. One set of sheaves or pulleys 38 are mounted concentric with this axis, and the other set of pulleys 38 (see Fig. 10) are journaled to said frame behind said axis. The lever frame is actuated by the pitman connection 43 with a crank 43 in a shaft 43 This shaft 13 carries two gears 4a, eachof which is engaged by a pinion 4.5 on a shaft 46 geared at 17 to the armature of an electric motor 48. The gears 44 are placed one at each side of the crank 43. The details of construction of the tongs and of the tongs column form no part of my present inven tion, since I may use any usual or suitable construction of these parts.

As the tongs column is raised and lowered by its actuating mechanism before de scribed, it is counterbalanced by the counter weight 22; and this also acts to automatically take up the slackin the tongs actuating ropes or cables '37. When it is desired to actuate these ropes or cables to lift the rod 35 and thereby open the tongs, the motor 48 is started. This actuates the shaft 43 and thereby the crank 43, and through the pitman 43* moves the lever frame 43 on its axis 43* to raise the right hand end portion of said frame (looking at Fig. 4:), thereby pulling upwardly on the portions of the ropes or cables 37 which are attached to the yoke or clevis 36. The tongs are thus opened and may be engaged with the ingot or other desired object, upon which they close by gravity as soon as the lever frame 43 is actuated by its motor to relieve the tension on the ropes or cables 37.

Any usual or suitable means may be provided for rotating the column. In the drawings I have shown the column as provided with a gear wheel 49, whose teeth are engaged by a. pinion 50 on a squared Vertical shaft. 51 which is attached to the column to move vertically therewith. 52 is a gear through which the shaft 51 is arranged to slide, and which is engaged by a gear 53 on a vertical shaft 54 connected by the gearing 55 at its upper end with a. motor 56.

The advantages of my invention result from the provision of means for positively raising and lowering the tongs column without slippage; from the use of a single co-unter-weight for both sets of cables; and to the provision of means of simple and effective character for actuating the tongs ropes or cables for opening the tongs.

I claim:

1. In crane mechanism of the character described, a vertically movable lifting column, a counterweight connected thereto, and a tongs actuating member mounted for vertical movement on the column and also connected to the said counterweight, substantially as described.

In crane mechanism of the character described, a vertically movable lifting column, a counterweight connected thereto, and a tongs actuating member mounted for vertical movement on the column and having a flexible connection with said counterweight, together with a movable member over which said connection passes, substantially as described.

3. In crane mechanism of the character described, the combination with a vertically movable tongs column, ropes or cables connected thereto, a vertically movable counterweight, a lever member to which the free end portions of the ropes or cables are connected, and a connection between said lever member and the counterweight, substantially as described.

l. In crane mechanism of the character described, the combination with a vertically movable -tongs column, of ropes or cables connected thereto, a counterweight, a lever member to which the ropes or cables are connected at their free end portions, a lifting member connected to the lever member and having yielding connection with the counterweight, a safety dog carried by the counterweight, and guides for the counterweight having means for engagement with said dogs, substantially as described.

5. In crane mechanism of the character described,--vertically movable tongs, a vertically movable counterweight therefor, a member seated in said counterweight and having a yielding supporting connection therewith, safety dogs carried by said member, and ropes or cables connected to the column and to said member, substantially as described.

6. In crane mechanism of the character described, the combination with a vertically movable lifting column, a tongs actuating member mounted for vertical movement on said column, of a counterbalance connected to the column, and flexible actuating connections for the tongs actuating member also connected to said counterweight, substantially as described.

7. In crane mechanism of the character described, the combination with a vertically movable lifting column, a tongs actuating member mounted for vertical movement on said column, of a counterbalance connected to the column, and flexible actuating connections for the tongs actuating member also connected to said counterweight and having a yielding connection with said counterweight, substantially as described.

8. In crane mechanism of the character described, a vertically movable tongs column, an actuating member mounted for vertical movement in said column, a rope or cable connected to said member and having a counterweight at its free end portion, a lever member having bearings for said rope or cable, and means for moving said lever member, substantially as described.

9. In crane mechanism of the character described, the combination with a vertically movable tongs column, of a tongs actuating member mounted for vertical movement in said column, a rope or cable connected to said member, a counterweight for the free end portion of said rope or cable, a lever member having sheaves over which the rope or cable is passed, and means for actuating said lever member to thereby vary the position of said sheaves, substantially as described.

10. In crane mechanism of the character described, the combination with a vertically movable tongs column, of a tongs actuating member mounted for vertical movement in said column, a rope or cable connected to said member, a counterweight. for the free end portion of said rope or cable, a lever member having bearings for said rope or cable, a motor, a crank shaft driven thereby, and an actuating connection between the crank shaft and said lever member, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

DAVID KENDALL.

Witnesses:

0. RYAN, A. W. MORRIS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner 0! Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

